Ghana’s music industry, estimated to be worth about $150 million and growing by roughly 10 per cent annually, continues to face significant challenges in converting the popularity of local music into sustainable income for artists.

According to Bright Dwomoh, CEO of Ghana Songs, piracy and weaknesses in music discovery remain major obstacles to ensuring that artists benefit financially from the success of their work.

He said while streaming platforms have expanded opportunities for Ghanaian musicians, low streaming revenues and concerns over royalty collection continue to affect the industry.

Streaming payouts are often estimated at around GH₵0.05 per stream, while the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has faced criticism over the speed and transparency of royalty distributions.

GHAMRO, however, announced in July 2026 that it had distributed more than GH₵1.4 million in digital royalties, alongside measures intended to improve transparency for members.

Mr Dwomoh said piracy compounds these challenges, with industry estimates suggesting that Ghana loses more than GH₵10 million annually through unlicensed music distribution.

He argued that the problem is not only about enforcement but also how music fans discover new songs, noting that listeners often encounter unofficial download sites before reaching an artist’s legitimate streaming platforms.

“Piracy doesn’t usually start with someone trying to steal from an artist — it starts with someone just trying to find the song,” Mr Dwomoh said.

He explained that platforms such as Ghana Songs are seeking to address the problem by directing listeners to legitimate sources, with ghanasong.org featuring new releases from more than 300 Ghanaian and Pan-African artists while embedding their official YouTube videos and linking directly to their recognised streaming platforms rather than hosting unauthorised downloads.

Mr Dwomoh acknowledged that improving music discovery alone would not resolve the broader challenges facing Ghana’s music industry, particularly concerns surrounding royalty collection, enforcement and streaming revenues.

However, he believes creating a direct path from music discovery to official streaming platforms can help ensure artists receive the plays, royalties and audience data generated by their work.

“If the first link a fan sees after hearing about a new release is a real Spotify or Apple Music link instead of a download blog, that’s one less stream the artist never gets credited for,” he said.